Cray Wanderers Women capped their first season with the club by becoming Southern Counties East Women’s Football League Division One West Champions.

It came after a very professional performance at Danson Sports produced a six goal victory and on to 43 points and fourteen wins out of sixteen games played.

Against a gallant and young Danson side Cray were on the front foot from the start and took the lead in the 8th minute from the penalty spot scored by Millie Main after Katie Jackson was brought down.  Olivia Gregory added a second in the 18th minute with a smart first time shot from a Jackson right wing corner.

The Wands added a third in first half stoppage time scored by Hannah Atkins who converted an Annemarie Blanche cross and made it 4-0 in the 58th minute when she crashed home a clever finish from a ball over the top.  

Two goals in a minute topped off the afternoon with the fifth goal scored superbly by Hannah Gilmour from a free kick and then Jackson got the goal her performance deserved in the 86th minute.

Dean Jarman’s side had bounced back well from their only league defeat at home to Tonbridge Angels on 14th April with a 7-0 win at home to Gravesham last Sunday and just kept ahead of Tonbridge who won 4-0 at Oakwood on Friday night to move three points behind Cray but with a superior goal difference.

The Wands began the game well and looked in the mood to score early on and created the first chance when Hannah Atkins went through on goal but her shot was saved by the legs of Lucie Hemsley.  

Shortly after, Jackson was also played through and advanced on goal and although her first shot was parried from the rebound she was uppended by Neena Muzawazi and a penalty kick was awarded.  From the spot kick Millie Main fired into the bottom right corner.

Cray were certainly in the mood for more goals and Jackson in particular who shot into the side netting down the right and then down the left cut inside and saw her shot turned behind for a corner.

From the corner down the right, Jackson’s ball to the far post was fired home first time by Olivia Gregory to make it 2-0 after 18 minutes.

After this Cray took a bit of a breather although almost added a third when Gregory down the left hit a deft shot which was goal bound but was saved superbly one handed by Hemsley.

In the first minute of added on time at the end of the half Cray scored a third when down the right Annemarie Blanche put over a cross to the far post for Atkins whose first effort was blocked but following up fired into an empty net.

HT:  0-3

The second half saw Danson come into things more and almost pulled a goal back when it looked like keeper Sam Sharp had gone down with an injury and Lilly Beaney had time to hit a shot which Main cleared off the line and following up blazed wide.

In the 58th minute Cray scored a fourth goal when Atkins who scored a hat-trick last weekend was found with a pass over the top and hit a well struck shot from the edge of the area and into the net.

For Danson, Lily Humpfreys saw a shot blocked and then Beaney shot wide while for Cray, Jackson won a corner and her cross from the right to the far post was turned wide by Hrystyna Kulishko.

With the game and title virtually won Cray ended the game in style with two goals in a minute with five minutes to go.

Firstly, from a free kick 30 yards out, defender Hannah Gilmour stepped up to crash home an unstoppable shot which gave Hemsley no chance to save.

Then a minute later with Danson a little bit at sixes and sevens after the goal Jackson got the goal her performance deserved with a classy piece of finishing high into the net.

In the end, Cray had done more than enough to win the game and over the season had been very consistent and also reached the semi-finals of the Kent FA Plate and will next season be in the Premier Division and will be looking to build on the momentum and over the season have done Cray Wanderers proud and became the first team to play on the new pitch at Flamingo Park.  With the Wands girls teams also doing well on the pitch this is a great time for Cray Wanderers and the future is bright.

Danson Sports: Lucie Hemsley, Neena Muzawazi, Cass Burns, Niamh Cartwright, Kara Penwarden-Bland, Florence Pearson, Nazareth Godspower, Ruby Skinner, Juste Petkeviciute, Alicia Hill, Cerys Baldwin; Ciara Reid, Molly Murihead, Eden Davies, Lily Humpfreys, Lilly Beaney

Cray Wanderers: Sam Sharp, Lauren Henry, Hannah Gilmour, Millie Main, Grace Dodds, Okasia Brown, Louise Chenery, Annemarie Blanche, Katie Jackson, Hannah Atkins, Olivia Gregory; Emily Symonds, Chloe Ashdown, Eve Sales, Danielle Smith, Hrystyna Kulishko

Scorers: Main 8 mins pen, Gregory 18, Atkins 45+1, 58, Gilmour 85, Jackson 86

Referee: Harley Webster